The Wanderings of Dionysus Once he had grown to male member Dionysus determined to wander far and wide, including areas outside Greece.

Where ever he went he taught men how to increase vines, and the mysteries of his cult.

He was accepted until he returned to his own country of Thebes. As he journeyed back to Greece he was spotted by buccaneers. He appeared to them as a rich adolescent man. He might even be the boy of a king. He absolutely looked like his parents would pay a rich ransom for his safe come back. Happy at their nice luck the pirates siezed him and purchased him aboard their vessel.

They then pursued to tie him to the ship but, the ropes refused to hold. Anywhere a rope carressed him it just fell apart. Dionysus watched smoothly, smiling. After some time the helmsman realized that just a god could be sensible.

He called out that the crew should free Dionysus and beg his forgiveness. But, the captain mocked the helmsman as a fool and called for the staff to set sail.

The team raised the sail and ensnared the wind but, the ship did not move. Exploring all around they spotted the ship speedily turning out to be overgrown with vines that placed it fast. Dionysus then changed himself into a lion and began to pursue the crewmen. To escape they leaped over the top but, as they did they were changed to sharks. Only on the helmsman did Dionysus have mercy.

As he flushed through Thrance he was insulted by King Lycurgus, who bitterly opposed his new religion. Initialy Dionysus retreated into the sea but, he returned, overpowered Lycurgus and imprisoned him in a bumpy cave. Dionysus planned to let him reflect and learn from his mistakes.

However, Zeus did not care to have the gods insulted, so he blinded then killed Lycurgus. He constrained on to Thebes, ruled by his cousin Pentheus. However, Pentheus did not know of Dionysus. Dionysus was with a group of his supporters, who were naturally humming and dancing loudly, flushed with wine.

Pentheus resented the loud, strangers, and ordered his guards to imprison them all. He refered to their leader as a cheating wizard from Lydia. When he said this the blind old phophet Teiresias, who had already dressed as one of Dionysus’s supporters gave Pentheus a warning: “The man you refuse is a new god. He is Semele’s kid, whom Zeus rescued. He, along with Demeter, are the greatest upon earth for men.” Pentheus, viewing the strange garb Teiresias had on, laughed at him and ordered his protects to continue.

The safeguards soon enough found that basics fell apart, latches fell open, and there they could not imprison Dionysus’s followers. The took Dionysus to Pentheus. Dionysus tried to explain at length his worship but, Pentheus listened only to his own anger and insulted Dionysus.

Finally, Dionysus gave up and left Pentheus to his doom. Pentheus persued Dionysus supporters up into the hills where they had gone after strolling away from his prison. Many of the local women including Pentheus’s mommy and sister had joined them there. Then Dionysus seemed to his followers in his most terrible aspect and drove them mad.

To them Pentheus seemed to be a moutain lion. In a berserk rage they attacked him. Now Pentheus realized he had fought with a god and would die for it. His mother was the first to reach him, and sculpted his head off, while the other people tore off his limbs.